Republicans expand supermajority in Utah Legislature

• A two-thirds majority vote in the House and Senate is necessary to override a veto from the governor.

Why it matters: Supermajorities often boast sweeping power to amend state constitutions and overrule governors, Axios' Stef W. Kight reports.

The big picture: Half of all state legislatures are on track to have veto-proof majorities, handing the party in power a historic level of control over elections, redistricting, abortion rights, gun laws and other major policies.

Catch up quick: The Utah Legislature flexed its power this year when it garnered the required two-thirds majority vote in both chambers to strike down Gov. Spencer Cox's veto of a controversial bill that barred transgender girls from competing in school sports matching their gender identity.

What they're saying: "The Legislature used to be the weakling in state government. They didn’t amount to much before 1947. They’d meet for 60 days every other year, and then they vanished," Rod Decker, who covered Utah politics for 50 years, told The Salt Lake Tribune in January.

What we're watching: This year, Republican lawmakers plan to take on tax cuts, raising teacher salaries and banning gender-affirming surgeries for minors.